“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.” 1 Corinthians 15:5
We are thankful to serve a God who is a great rewarder, whose strength is made perfect in our weakness. We see how overwhelming things can look in a hurry here in Haiti, but God teaches us to keep loving and serving one at a time. Maybe abounding isn’t always measured in amounts accomplished, but in our attitude and capacity to love our neighbor as ourselves!
Retreat! Last month we had the opportunity to go to our annual missionary retreat for an extended weekend. It was held at a resort on the coast north of Port-au-Prince. We got to study the book of Colossians, go snorkeling, and enjoy the pool some…and it wasn’t excessively hot. Although “retreating” isn’t a good practice for a Christian, Jesus sometimes urged his disciples to come apart and rest awhile. So we should too!
The missionary retreat is held at Kaliko Beach.
Posing in front of our cabin on the beach!
Enjoying a retreat meal with friends Lance & Ronda and Ronda’s daughter, Kailie (Mrs. Meier, Grace’s substitute teacher, sitting next to Trinity!)
Leaving shore on our snorkeling expedition!
A German missionary brought his underwater camera along!
The underwater camera captured a lot of big fish down there! Would you say they look like clown fish?
The kids presented a short musical program at the conclusion of their Bible School.
The kids loved eating their meals together and then rushing off in a hurry to ride their ripsticks!
Newborn! This past weekend we had the excitement of holding a new baby again as our cook, Madam Yadley, had her third child! She was only in the hospital a few hours before returning home, and she was up and walking around when we visited the next day! She named her baby girl Bessakina (though all we can usually remember is the Bess part).
Our cook’s happy (and growing) family!
The baby was still too exhausted to care who was holding her!
Madam Yadley told me this is my baby too! (Mike says that probably just means I will be paying to raise her.)
Strong trees grow slow! There aren’t too many large trees left in Haiti as much of the country has been deforested. The large Mapu trees that have been left standing are associated with evil spirits. There are several Mapu trees along the road to Bonne Fin that we often admire as we drive by. Standing Grace in front of one gives you an idea how massive it is! It looks like she could crawl right in that hole above her! The saying “strong trees grow slow” makes me think of the way God works character into our lives. He isn’t in a hurry, but He has a plan!
The branches of this massive Mapu tree are thicker than most trees! We could only get the bottom half of the tree in the photo!
His Heart for Haiti 